2015年07月28日
Tokyo time!
I spent my weekend in Tokyo. It was hands down my most enjoyable tour, or even walking experience. I almost never go out to just sightsee or tour or even to just walk, but this weekend might have made me reconsider my current sedentary lifestyle. For one thing, I need to start running more so to maintain the high level of energies my ambitions require. I will also need to learn to budget (save money) better, perhaps stop buying coffee from vending machines as well as refraining from ordering so much yummy udon.
On my trip I visited Jimbocho, Akihabara, and Harajuku. Jimbocho was, of course, being a reader, my favorite of all three areas, but unfortunately most of the great second-hand bookstores are closed on Sundays, so I only managed to come back to Kokubunji with one English book (I was looking for the original French of Lacan’s seminars, as well as anything psychoanalytic in English). Oh, I did get myself a book of haiku with both English and Japanese of the 300 haikus by a modern haiku poet. As a friend and professional translator said, it is easiest to learn a language by translating what you enjoy, and I do enjoy poetry and philosophy! Akihabara was, unfortunately, a disappointment. I am not sure why I anticipated more than the otaku culture that I did in fact witness. I was hoping to eat at a maid cafe, but I needed to save money in order to return to Tokyo for Obon, and besides the lines to enter the cafe were expensive. Next time I will be sure to check out an AKB performance! I realize that I do not like anime as much as I used to (one of my reasons for choosing to work in Japan was to explore the otaku culture), but I did become piqued to learn Japanese as it is used in manga, so I can finally grow an appreciation for the local media. But Harajuku…I LOVED! Despite appearances, I deeply appreciate fashion and perhaps can I look through fashion magazines all day over some coffee and conversation. I will stop here, though, as my excitement over Harajuku goes beyond words.
On my trip I visited Jimbocho, Akihabara, and Harajuku. Jimbocho was, of course, being a reader, my favorite of all three areas, but unfortunately most of the great second-hand bookstores are closed on Sundays, so I only managed to come back to Kokubunji with one English book (I was looking for the original French of Lacan’s seminars, as well as anything psychoanalytic in English). Oh, I did get myself a book of haiku with both English and Japanese of the 300 haikus by a modern haiku poet. As a friend and professional translator said, it is easiest to learn a language by translating what you enjoy, and I do enjoy poetry and philosophy! Akihabara was, unfortunately, a disappointment. I am not sure why I anticipated more than the otaku culture that I did in fact witness. I was hoping to eat at a maid cafe, but I needed to save money in order to return to Tokyo for Obon, and besides the lines to enter the cafe were expensive. Next time I will be sure to check out an AKB performance! I realize that I do not like anime as much as I used to (one of my reasons for choosing to work in Japan was to explore the otaku culture), but I did become piqued to learn Japanese as it is used in manga, so I can finally grow an appreciation for the local media. But Harajuku…I LOVED! Despite appearances, I deeply appreciate fashion and perhaps can I look through fashion magazines all day over some coffee and conversation. I will stop here, though, as my excitement over Harajuku goes beyond words.
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